Re:
Valv.Piti said:
How is your relationship with Landa? Do you 'just' know him or are you actually a friend of his?
Anyways good with some insights, keep it up, interesting read. And yeah, Neila will be fun tomorrow, I simply love that stage. Do you think Landa will reach his Giro level, because he doesnt seem to be going well so far? I guess it will be a lot clearer tomorrow.
I am not really a friend. I am a friend of a friend. He knows who I am and when I see him if is a good moment I talk with him. The first day I was talking with him about my impresions of the Giro, Mortirolo stages, the route of the TTT and things like that.
I met him in a Tour of the basque country, a stage that finished in his town, they climbed part of Satuario de Oro, when Landa won in amateurs, and later down to Murguia. a downdhil where Vinokourov managed to take some seconds and win, curiously, one of the men that didnt allowed him to try to win the Giro.
http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=20070
My friend and my climbed that short and hard climb and when I got the climb, quite later than him, he was there talking with Landa, who was almost unknow for me. I talked a little, he was a polite guy, my friend tolk me about him some times, but I though he was one more basque promise that, well, are good, but not especially good, they were looking the new Lejarreta or the new (in the efect of results and importance) Mayo.
So I was talking a little, Landa was recovered from and injury, I colaborate then for el Pedal de Frodo, and he did some interviews for him, but I gave not too much importantace to that guy, and I was more worry to go after the brush car to the finish watching the last riders at the same time...and yes, there was a last group with Porte, Felline, Boaro,... that I could follow from far...
I took this picture that day:
My friend and him, they raced in juniors.
But later he said more things about him to me and especially when he won in Neila, in the way he did, I realized that maybe that guy wanst one more.. and specially I realized when he told me more things and I followed.
I know lot of people thinks he is a one hit wonder and those kind of things, but he is that class of talent that need everything go well. Giro wasnt a surprise for me, but anyway i wanst sure if he can be really good along 3 weeks.
But I was impressed some times before with him, if you know sometimes the circunstances he do that performance.
There are some kind of genious climbers who has something, who work by inspiration, like Fuente, el Tarangu, he is that kind of guy... but he has not that strong character to do what Pantani, Belli and Gotti did in Merano-Aprica, forget his director, forget his leaders Chiapucci, Bugno,... but they were italians as well...
Anyway when Landa is ok he has a big confidence in himself.
Today I wanst surprised if he won the stage as if he work a little and lose 10 minutes.
In la Vuelta is difficult he was in the fight for GC, but of course he will give some impressive moments. I remember tha stage of Cuitu Negru in his first GT, he worked some kms in La Cobertoria and the peloton, that went all together in a hard climb as San Lorenzo, started to lose people very quickly.
The stage of Andorra and the stage of Alba are very good for him, if he is not working he would be my second favourite for them after Quintana, even if Froome is there, what I hope (and it would be my favourite for GC, but no for those stages, he is more for Fuente del Chivo)
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